1. Ornulv (Arnie) Sonsteby, PE Penn State / FAA Airport Conference 2007
INSTALLATION OF IN-PAVEMENT LIGHTS IN CONCRETE PAVEMENT & IMPACT ON LIGHT PHOTOMETRICS
Ornulv (Arnie) Sonsteby, PE
&
Doron Lean
Penn State / FAA Airport Conference 2007

2. IPRF-03-1 Project Best Practices Guide for
In-Pavement Lighting, PCC Pavement
Estimated Completion: 2007
PI & Contact: Ornulv (Arnie) Sonsteby, P.E.
Sponsored by: FAA, in Cooperative Agreement with
Innovative Pavement Research Foundation (IPRF)

3. GUIDE CONTENT Coordination between disciplines
Installation in new vs. existing PCC
Products, methods, tolerances
Boxouts / blockouts
Deficiencies and corrective alternatives
Strength and load transfer

4. Preparing Light Base & Jig

5. Light Base Installation
“Anchor” function (preparation for paving)
(b) “Strengthening” function (completed installation)

6. INSTALLATION ISSUES Coordination between disciplines Selecting:
Methods & procedures
lighting products
Pavement materials
Tolerances & verification

7. CCOORDINATION IN DESIGN
Light location vs. pavement joints
Materials and method
QC/QA
Tolerances and Consequences

8. PCC JOINT CONFLICTS Touch Down Zone Lights
Lead-off / Lead-on TW CTL Lights
TW CTL Lights at curves / intersections
In-pavement RGL / Stop Bar Lights

9. MATERIALS & METHODS Light Base, Conduit, Pavement materials
Installation procedures and “structure” -- in new or existing pavement
Surface finish (“cookie cutter” vs. Core)

10. QC / QA The quality of installation depends on:
Good design by engineer
Good craftsmanship by installer
Close coordination between disciplines
Inspection / verification of compliance

11. Tolerances and Consequences
Pavement vs. Base tolerances
Light Base: Location, Height, Azimuth, Level
When to modify, when to replace

12. ** Paving elevation tolerance -- + ½”
Light Tolerances
Location: Per AC. Depends on type and function of light.
Height: Fixture edge even with pavement, (low side): +0”, -1/16.
Azimuth: Within ± ½ degree.
Level: With horizon. No tolerance specified.
** Paving elevation tolerance -- + ½”

13. Level Tolerance?
Pavement has longitudinal grade & cross slope (up to 1.5% major R/Ws)
No tolerance in AC. Engineer may establish tolerance (varies)
Tolerance applied in wrong direction worsens condition
Consider 

14. Level !! TRANSVERSE SLOPE LONGITUDINAL GRADE Ht D Ht D
Deg Grade for 12” for 6”
Ht D Ht D
1/ % ” ”
% ” ” O
LONGITUDINAL GRADE

15. COORDINATION IN CONSTRUCTION
Survey
Materials and method
QC/QA
Tolerances and Consequences

16. Survey Coordinate survey activities Survey to: Locate light
Install light base
Verify before paving

17. Selecting Materials & Methods
Submittals review for compliance
Establish installation sequence and responsibilities
Inspection --- more inspection
Protect lights while completing paving

18. Conduit in pavement base layer Setting base “in space”
Light base
Conduit in pavement base layer
Setting base “in space”

19. Setting bases in
“fill-in” lane

20. RW Edge Light, Toe-In
Installation in
existing PCC Pavement

21. QC / QA Verify light location
Verify height, azimuth & level while securing light base
Check tolerances prior to paving
Inspect surface finish
Protect light while paving, grooving, sweeping, and marking

22. 2’ from Joint Issue AC 150/5340-30 Modeling: (by Tigerbrain)
R/W CTL: “The line of lights is offset a maximum of 2’ from the runway centerline to the edge of fixture.”
T/W CTL: “Fixtures should be installed so that their nearest edge is approximately 2’ from any rigid pavement joint.”
Modeling: (by Tigerbrain)

23. σ - bottom of 18” thick
20’x20’ slab B-777
(254K edge loading).

24. σ - top of 18” thick
20’x20’ slab B-727
(corner loading).

25. Joint Issue Comments
Pavement Design is conservative (edge stress, no load transfer).
Modeling (with no load transfer between slabs, no bonding to underlying layer):
Dowels generally reduced max edge stress by ~ 20%.
With 2 dowels omitted, max edge stress reduced by ~ 12%.

26. (Joint Issue Comments continued)
Hence: Inside 2’, with 1 or 2 dowels omitted has minimal impact on slab-slab load transfer.
Load transfer between light base and pavement – assessment suggests non-issue.
Embedded steel can help control cracking close to joint.
Alternative: Boxout

27. PCC Joints
Light base
18” 7”
Light near PCC joint

28. Details, details !!
PCC Joint
Cracks
In-Pavement Light
Conduit Kerf

29. T/W CTL Light
Boxout at PCC joint

30. Normal joints
Crack
Doweled joint
for Boxout
Boxout at PCC joints !

31. Threshold Light Bar
“boxout”

32. A few
Related
concerns

33. for full section of kerf !
KERFS
PCC Joint
Maintain existing pavement joints -
for full section of kerf !

34. Conduit below !! Longitudinal crack center T/W slab T/W Centerline
Light

35. Faulty
sealing

36. Fate of out-of-tolerance
light bases!

37. Doron